Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Targu Frumos

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Frumos: $1,030 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Targu Frumos
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Targu Frumos Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Targu Frumos

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,030

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Targu Frumos

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Targu Frumos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,030 in Targu Frumos.

Phuket $1,208
Targu Frumos $1,030

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,537 in Targu Frumos.

Phuket $2,027
Targu Frumos $1,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,045 in Targu Frumos.

Phuket $2,845
Targu Frumos $2,045

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than in Targu Frumos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Targu Frumos 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$10.66 RON 50.4

-58.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$41.59 RON 197

-22.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.23 RON 34.21

21.16%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.43 RON 11.51

16.46%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ฿30.14

$2.03 RON 9.61

-55.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.91 RON 9.03

-75.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.17 RON 10.26

17.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.13 RON 14.79

22.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.19 RON 5.61

45.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.71 RON 3.35

107.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.80 RON 8.52

-16.11%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.39 RON 16.02

-35.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$7.58 RON 35.86

159.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$5.80 RON 27.42

-42.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$8.59 RON 40.62

29.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.30 RON 6.17

119.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.61 RON 7.64

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.55 RON 7.34

41.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.81 RON 8.58

13.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.96 RON 4.55

51.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.02 RON 4.82

35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.81 RON 3.84

32.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.69 RON 3.28

-26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.60 RON 26.49

-23.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$5.38 RON 25.44

245.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$0.94 RON 4.43

89.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.23 RON 5.82

131.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.67 RON 3.16

237.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$19.60 RON 92.7

12.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$0.60 RON 2.85

401.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.69 RON 3.29

53.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$7.07 RON 33.46

-45.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.75 RON 8.27

-17.14%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$28.1K RON 133.1K

-6.42%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$25.1K RON 118.6K

7.48%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.4 ฿3,221

$147 RON 695

-34.35%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.04 ฿369

$7.49 RON 35.44

47.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$7.75 RON 36.69

121.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$42.38 RON 201

23.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$21.30 RON 101

-47.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$6.25 RON 29.57

24.96%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$556 ฿18.6K

$586 RON 2,773

-5.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$5,001 RON 23.7K

131.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$96.1 RON 455

-33.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$32.20 RON 152

-10.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$60.0 RON 284

58.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$85.3 RON 404

3.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$416 RON 1,970

77.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$311 RON 1,472

48.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$672 RON 3,181

211.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$437 RON 2,069

174.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,074 RON 9,813

68.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,422 RON 6,729

77.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.2

-22.64%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Targu Frumos

$311 30.2% 32.7% $151

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Targu Frumos

$183 17.8% 31.9% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Targu Frumos

$162 15.7% 30.1% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Targu Frumos

$123 12% 0.9% $1.2

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Targu Frumos

$169 16.4% 39.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Targu Frumos

$55 5.3% 19% $13

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Targu Frumos

$26 2.6% 33.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $416 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Targu Frumos. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $183, with Targu Frumos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇴 Targu Frumos

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

14:39 2:39 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

13,875

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Targu Frumos 7,960 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Targu Frumos

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Frumos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $1,544 in Targu Frumos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $416 in Targu Frumos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $586 in Targu Frumos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,030 in Targu Frumos versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Targu Frumos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Frumos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Targu Frumos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Targu Frumos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Targu Frumos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.